Cruise W1011
on the Black Watch
to the North Cape of Norway
(Please scroll down to see my photographs and read my report)
Date: |
Port: |
Arms: |
Escort: |
Comment: |
16-Jul-2010 |
Southampton Hampshire |
|
- |
On board by 11 am |
19-Jul-2010 |
Molde, Møre og Romsdal |
|
- |
Jazz Festival |
21-Jul-2010 |
Tromsø Troms |
|
Arctic City Tour |
Cathedral & Museum |
22-Jul-2010 |
Honningsvåg Finnmark |
|
North Cape Transfer |
Wet & Windy! |
23-Jul-2010 |
Alta Finnmark |
|
City Tour |
Sami Camp & Museum |
25-Jul-2010 |
Narvik Nordland |
|
- |
Glorious day! |
27-Jul-2010 |
Olden Sogn og Fjordane |
|
Fjord Fishing |
Glorious day! |
28-Jul-2010 |
Bergen Hordaland |
|
Lysoen Island |
Very pretty |
30-Jul-2010 |
Southampton Hampshire |
|
- |
Home by 9:30! |
Me, Jane, Tarzan & Tony in the Midnight Sun
Me with Trevor "Eddie Grundy" Harrison from the Archers!
Self portrait with Hedli "Kathy Perks" Niklaus from the Archers!
Here's my report on the cruise:
Just to let you know that I have just got back from my cruise
to the North Cape of Norway on the lovely Black Watch.
Bamse and me in Honningsvag
A full day in Tromsø enabled me to see the Arctic Cathedral
& University Museum on tour in the morning and the Botanic Gardens,
Geologic Walk & Science Centre in the afternoon.
Meeting some Sami people (you mustn't call them Lapps) was fascinating again.
The prehistoric rock carvings in Alta were very impressive.
The bears may be indicators of re-incarnation and bear in Norwegian is Bjorn.
So "Bjorn Again" the ABBA tribute band has additional significance!
The entry and return through the narrow Trollfjord was dramatic
but cut the numbers in my line dance class!
Fjord
The sailaway from Narvik was in glorious sun & scenery.
Bergen old town
The new courtyard attached to the Garden Cafe is delighful
and so much better than the cage on Boudicca.
It has french windows on two sides opening out on to the Garden Cafe
and the reduced size Braemar Lounge.
Unfortunately Steve the pianist was often playing to no-one in there.
I ran several line dance classes and led the audience participation spot on the Western night.
I managed to get my trading name (Doc. Martin) into the daily programmes!
Black Watch (originally the Royal Viking Star) is better than her sister ship Boudicca
(originally the Royal Viking Sky) for several reasons:
- The Garden Cafe is so much nicer than the Secret Garden Cafe (AKA the Cage!).
- BW has a lovely tiered cinema like those on the Saga ships,
where Boudicca has her fitness centre, sauna and extra cabins.
- BW has no columns on the main dance floor and only one in the Lido lounge.
- BW has a bright and airy fitness centre on the top deck.
Black Watch
Good points were:
- Excellent programme of up to 3 lectures per sea day.
- Outside twin cabin with twin porthole.
- Forward facing observation lounge.
- All round teak promenade deck.
- Efficient cabin steward.
- Warm pools & jacuzzis.
Usual sea day programme:
09:30 - 10:15 Line Dance class in the Lido.
12:30 - 13:00 Lunch in the Garden Cafe.
14:00 - 15:00 Ballroom / Latin American dance class
in the Neptune Lounge.
Usual evening programme:
06:30 - 07:17 Dinner in the Garden Cafe.
07:30 - 08:30 Pre-show dancing in the Neptune Lounge.
08:45 - 09:30 Showtime.
09:30 - Late Post-show dancing in the Lido.
For the record ...
- Food: Good.
- Tours: In 5 out of 7 ports.
- Weather: Mixed, cold and wet in the far north, warm and sunny elsewhere.
- New ports: Three.
- Sail-aways: One.
- Tea dance: One.
- Masonic meeting(s): Hosted by Dennis.
- Service clubs: Hosted by me and Tony.
- Dinner host: No.
- Line dancing: I taught 7 beginner dances.
- Sequence dancing: Some, particularly the Square Tango.
- Ballroom dancing: Lots.
- Western night: Yes, I led the participation line dancing.
- Tropical night: No.
- British (Red, White & Blue) night: Yes.
- Singles party: Yes.
- Singles lunch: No.
- Formal nights: Three (black tie, cream & red, black & red)
- Cocktail parties: Three.
- Captain: Torbjorn Lund.
- Cruise Director: Allan Tait from Rothbury.
- Assistant Cruise Director: Simon Powell.
- Host/ess: Hannah.
- Host: Connor James.
- Cabin mate: Tony Van Laun from Portsmouth.
- Dance couple: The lovely Jane Rainger and Dennis "Tarzan" Stapleton the builder from Cambs.
- Other dance hosts: None.
- Lecturer(s): Barry Arnold, Charles Carlton & David Mercer (Johnny Strand had to replace Lisbeth Linbeck as the Port Lecturer).
- Musician(s): Aviva & Timeline.
- Pianist(s): Steve Lowdell, James Durcan & Brian Davidson.
- Comedian(s): Phil Lowen from Ringwood.
- Singer(s): Jan Lesley.
- Song of the cruise: "Dance above the rainbow" by Ronan Hardiman.
- Doctor: A Scot but not Brian Dunn!
- Cabin: 3080.
- Passenger(s): Margaret Jones.
- Dancer(s): Marianne, Helen, Chris & Monica from Highcliff.
- Photographs taken: 1613 (Includes 326 of Margaret's)
- Good, free Wi-Fi: in several towns - Peppe's pizzas & Thon hotels.